Our Board
Teresa Allissa Citro
Founder and President
Teresa Allissa Citro is the Founder and President of Thread of Hope, Inc., Ms. Citro is a graduate of Tufts New England Medical School and Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts. She is the current Chief Executive Officer, Learning Disabilities Worldwide, Inc. She is the Co-Editor of several books on Special Education, and Co-Author of a popular children’s series, “I Am Full of Possibilities.” She is the Co-Editor of 2 peer review journals Learning Disabilities: A Contemporary Journal and Insights on Learning Disabilities from Prevailing Theories to Validated Practices. She is the mother of two young children. She resides in Boston, Massachusetts.
Justin Citro
Vice President
Lorraine Tuccero
Treasurer
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INTERNATIONAL BOARD OF ADVISORY
Rev. Michael Player, General Overseer
International Fellowship of Christian Assemblies (IFCA)
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Bishop Prince Obinna Abani JP
Senior Pastor, Powerhouse Assembly Ministries Int.
Dr. Kerry Fink
President of AEA Ministries
Mrs. Tammy Fink
Board of Elders, AEA Ministries
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Bishop Dr. Rovell Adelan Solleza
Founder & National Director of National Chaplains of the Philippines
Our Staff
Pastor Michael Heil
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Michael Heil is a retired, former pastor who writes independently and for Thread of Hope Ministries. He is co-author of Surrender: The Ultimate Submission. Michael has over twenty years’ experience writing Christian education curriculum, which has been used in several churches in Kansas.
Reverend Heil has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Biblical Literature from Bethel College in Mishawaka, IN and a Master of Arts degree in Theology from Central Baptist Theological Seminary in Kansas City, KS. He was director of high school ministry with Youth for Christ for five years. He served eight years as associate pastor of Christian Education for Northland Christian Church. Reverend Heil served as senior pastor of two churches: Oakland Christian Church and Cornerstone Christian Fellowship, Topeka, KS. He also was a Certified Minister with the Assemblies of God, ministering at Glad Tidings Assemblies of God, Topeka, KS.
Michael’s passion and calling is sharing God’s word from scripture so people might "grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." (2 Peter 3:18). Reverend Heil is married and lives with his wife, Jeannie, in Topeka, Kansas
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Linda A. Knowles
​Executive Director
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Linda A. Lodato Knowles is a graduate of Katharine Gibbs School of Business. In the last 25 years, her positions have included being the assistant to the senior pastor at Christian Assembly. She continued to serve in that capacity to the incoming four additional pastors, one who is now the General Overseer for the International Fellowship of Christian Assemblies (IFCA) and the other who serves on the IFCA Executive Board. Ms. Knowles has also served as one of the Missions Ministry Team Leaders at one of the local Assemblies of God and has been on short-term missions trips – Home Mission USA, International Countries: Mexico, Jamaica, and Argentina. During her time there, she served on the Christian Education Staff and taught adult discipleship classes and was the assistant to the Senior Pastor. Ms. Knowles worked closely in a Youth Ministry leadership position as well as Children’s Ministry, including Missionettes. Most recently, in the church she presently attends, Ms. Knowles has participated in the Easter Production ‘A Walk To Calvary’ for the last three years, and she sings regularly as a soloist. Ms. Knowles also served as an Intern Assistant to the Chief Executive Director at LDW. She resides happily in Boston with her husband.